Fibrous panels, such as the base mats for traditional ceiling tiles and acoustical panels, are typically made using a wet forming process. The components that will make up the fibrous panel are first mixed in water to form a dispersion and then flowed onto a moving support wire screen, such as that of a Fourdrinier machine to form green board. The green board is then dewatered, first by gravity and then vacuum suction means, and subsequently dried in a heated convection drying oven to form the lightweight base mat of an acoustical panel. Drying in the heated convection drying oven typically is the production limiting step, as well as the most costly production step.